Transforming Instructional Practice: Two Case Studies of Inquiry-based learning

Abstract

A comparison of case studies of two elementary schools in the United States, in two different Library Power project sites, reveals that the implementation of a new instructional approach such as inquiry-based learning is a complex and multifaceted endeavour. Provision of enhanced collections, improved facilities, full time librarians, flexible scheduling, and professional support was not sufficient for the transformation of instructional practice. Although the two schools appeared to have benefited from similar improvements in resources, only one of the schools demonstrated the transformation in instructional practice that is essential to improved student learning. The roots of this difference appeared to lie in the beliefs held by educators in the two schools about the nature of children, the nature of learning, and the nature of teaching.